Getting Started: Beginning your journey to vegetarianism
alybran
Posts: 199 Member
Are you a new vegetarian or thinking about it, but just don't know where to start? Are you a seasoned vegetarian with helpful advice for newbies?
Share your advice, concerns, or problems here. Infographics welcome!
Vegetarianism is a STATE. OF. MIND. I often liken eating meat with having an addiction. Though not as serious, there is a definite psychological attachment to meat.
I still sometimes feel like something is "missing" from my dinners if I don't have a meat or meat replacement, because I'm so conditioned to having a protein/starch/veggie mixture on my plate. I get plenty of protein from plants, that's for sure! But I'm still re-conditioning myself to not expect some sort of chunk of protein on my plate. It takes time!
Share your advice, concerns, or problems here. Infographics welcome!
Vegetarianism is a STATE. OF. MIND. I often liken eating meat with having an addiction. Though not as serious, there is a definite psychological attachment to meat.
I still sometimes feel like something is "missing" from my dinners if I don't have a meat or meat replacement, because I'm so conditioned to having a protein/starch/veggie mixture on my plate. I get plenty of protein from plants, that's for sure! But I'm still re-conditioning myself to not expect some sort of chunk of protein on my plate. It takes time!
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A lot of people worry about how they'll get enough protein as a vegetarian. Here's a simple infographic that helped me realize the potential for protein in plants! (Love that alliteration.)
[From OmNomAlly.com]1 -
Are you a new vegetarian or thinking about it, but just don't know where to start? Are you a seasoned vegetarian with helpful advice for newbies?
Share your advice, concerns, or problems here. Infographics welcome!
Vegetarianism is a STATE. OF. MIND. I often liken eating meat with having an addiction. Though not as serious, there is a definite psychological attachment to meat.
I still sometimes feel like something is "missing" from my dinners if I don't have a meat or meat replacement, because I'm so conditioned to having a protein/starch/veggie mixture on my plate. I get plenty of protein from plants, that's for sure! But I'm still re-conditioning myself to not expect some sort of chunk of protein on my plate. It takes time!
I hear you on that. I am not new to a plant based diet, I grew up flexatarian. (spelling?) But after 20 plus years of marriage to a meat eater, I've learned to base my meals off the meat, starch, vegetable style of eating. My hubs has been very generous in his willingness of me changing the typical American meal model, to a more Mediterranean diet high in vegetarian meals. I'm still struggling to find find good footing, but I am very thankful for plant based meats to help me over the hump.
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Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer. Their diet also matches up pretty closely to what some of the other Blue Zones eat. Really interesting stuff, and it also ties in with the big Meta-study that recently came out from Imperial College London, about higher intake of veg/fruit and their connection to a decrease in numerous diseases, (10 servings/800g a day vs the more traditional '5 a Day' recommendation).
So, I'm currently experimenting with a woe that's based around veg/fruit (aiming for 800g most days), and then whole grains, fish 4-5 times a week and beans, and then a small amount of eggs (2-3 a week), cheese, butter, nuts etc. I still also enjoy things like Fritos, ice cream and such, but in much smaller amounts
I've pretty much cut out meat in this process, except on Sundays we do local, grass fed steaks on the grill at my husband's parents, and I'm not feeling inclined to cut that out at this point, since it's such a small amount (usually 4 ounces or less). But otherwise I've removed the daily chicken/beef/pork I was eating! We'll see if I live to 100 now
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crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer. Their diet also matches up pretty closely to what some of the other Blue Zones eat. Really interesting stuff, and it also ties in with the big Meta-study that recently came out from Imperial College London, about higher intake of veg/fruit and their connection to a decrease in numerous diseases, (10 servings/800g a day vs the more traditional '5 a Day' recommendation).
So, I'm currently experimenting with a woe that's based around veg/fruit (aiming for 800g most days), and then whole grains, fish 4-5 times a week and beans, and then a small amount of eggs (2-3 a week), cheese, butter, nuts etc. I still also enjoy things like Fritos, ice cream and such, but in much smaller amounts
I've pretty much cut out meat in this process, except on Sundays we do local, grass fed steaks on the grill at my husband's parents, and I'm not feeling inclined to cut that out at this point, since it's such a small amount (usually 4 ounces or less). But otherwise I've removed the daily chicken/beef/pork I was eating! We'll see if I live to 100 now
That's great CCL! I'm sure you will find greater health by changing your diet.
I've never heard of the Blue zones, nor the Meta diet, thank you for mentioning them. I'll be doing a bit of research on them now.
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purebredpolly wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer. Their diet also matches up pretty closely to what some of the other Blue Zones eat. Really interesting stuff, and it also ties in with the big Meta-study that recently came out from Imperial College London, about higher intake of veg/fruit and their connection to a decrease in numerous diseases, (10 servings/800g a day vs the more traditional '5 a Day' recommendation).
So, I'm currently experimenting with a woe that's based around veg/fruit (aiming for 800g most days), and then whole grains, fish 4-5 times a week and beans, and then a small amount of eggs (2-3 a week), cheese, butter, nuts etc. I still also enjoy things like Fritos, ice cream and such, but in much smaller amounts
I've pretty much cut out meat in this process, except on Sundays we do local, grass fed steaks on the grill at my husband's parents, and I'm not feeling inclined to cut that out at this point, since it's such a small amount (usually 4 ounces or less). But otherwise I've removed the daily chicken/beef/pork I was eating! We'll see if I live to 100 now
That's great CCL! I'm sure you will find greater health by changing your diet.
I've never heard of the Blue zones, nor the Meta diet, thank you for mentioning them. I'll be doing a bit of research on them now.
The meta study was all over the news a couple months ago-very interesting stuff!
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-a-longer-life-researchers-say-eat-this-many-fruits-and-veggies-per-day/
And then the Blue Zones are groups of people who have unusually long longevity of life. That's caught my attention because the women in my family tend to live into their late 80s, in poor health due to disease (cancer and type 2 diabetes). I have a personal goal to hit 90 in good health lol. I'm the first one in my family who's successfully maintained weight loss long term, and also the only one who's reversed the progression of prediabetes, so by continuing to tweak how I do things I figure I at least have a shot at it
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/11/398325030/eating-to-break-100-longevity-diet-tips-from-the-blue-zones
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Zones-Lessons-Living-Longest/dp/1426207557
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Zones-Solution-Eating-Healthiest/dp/1426211929/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1426211929&pd_rd_r=A85XMG2CJ4AAY4P6AZN9&pd_rd_w=zy7Ag&pd_rd_wg=CGQRV&psc=1&refRID=A85XMG2CJ4AAY4P6AZN90 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer.
I will say that while I consider myself vegetarian, I do take Fish oils because you get some omegas that you just can't get nearly as easily from a plant-based diet. I do also eat fish, VERY occasionally (less than once a month on average), mostly for health benefits but sometimes for convenience, so I jokingly call myself a "selective pescatarian."1 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer.
I will say that while I consider myself vegetarian, I do take Fish oils because you get some omegas that you just can't get nearly as easily from a plant-based diet. I do also eat fish, VERY occasionally (less than once a month on average), mostly for health benefits but sometimes for convenience, so I jokingly call myself a "selective pescatarian."
Yeah, I'm not quite sure what to label myself lol. Right now I'm just focusing on a nutrient dense diet, with a large emphasis on veg/fruit intake 0 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »purebredpolly wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »Not a vegetarian, but I'm in the process of transitioning to a more whole foods, pescetarian woe. I've been doing a lot of reading on the 'Blue Zones', especially the one zone in the U.S. (the SDA community in Loma Linda, CA). It's a vegetarian community, with a subset group that also eats fish. While both groups have remarkable longevity of life/good health, statistically the group of fish eaters actually live a bit longer. Their diet also matches up pretty closely to what some of the other Blue Zones eat. Really interesting stuff, and it also ties in with the big Meta-study that recently came out from Imperial College London, about higher intake of veg/fruit and their connection to a decrease in numerous diseases, (10 servings/800g a day vs the more traditional '5 a Day' recommendation).
So, I'm currently experimenting with a woe that's based around veg/fruit (aiming for 800g most days), and then whole grains, fish 4-5 times a week and beans, and then a small amount of eggs (2-3 a week), cheese, butter, nuts etc. I still also enjoy things like Fritos, ice cream and such, but in much smaller amounts
I've pretty much cut out meat in this process, except on Sundays we do local, grass fed steaks on the grill at my husband's parents, and I'm not feeling inclined to cut that out at this point, since it's such a small amount (usually 4 ounces or less). But otherwise I've removed the daily chicken/beef/pork I was eating! We'll see if I live to 100 now
That's great CCL! I'm sure you will find greater health by changing your diet.
I've never heard of the Blue zones, nor the Meta diet, thank you for mentioning them. I'll be doing a bit of research on them now.
The meta study was all over the news a couple months ago-very interesting stuff!
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-a-longer-life-researchers-say-eat-this-many-fruits-and-veggies-per-day/
And then the Blue Zones are groups of people who have unusually long longevity of life. That's caught my attention because the women in my family tend to live into their late 80s, in poor health due to disease (cancer and type 2 diabetes). I have a personal goal to hit 90 in good health I'm the first one in my family who's successfully maintained weight loss long term, and also the only one who's reversed the progression of prediabetes, so by continuing to tweak how I do things I figure I at least have a shot at it
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/11/398325030/eating-to-break-100-longevity-diet-tips-from-the-blue-zones
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Zones-Lessons-Living-Longest/dp/1426207557
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Zones-Solution-Eating-Healthiest/dp/1426211929/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1426211929&pd_rd_r=A85XMG2CJ4AAY4P6AZN9&pd_rd_w=zy7Ag&pd_rd_wg=CGQRV&psc=1&refRID=A85XMG2CJ4AAY4P6AZN9
Thank you for the links!!!! I an a news free gal, or nearly so. I read the headlines on my local weather channel to have a basic idea of what's going on in the world, so I guess I missed the reports on these things.
Congratulations on losing weight, and maintaining it! That's awesome!!!
I too am on a journey for health, but I am starting from a worn out body that's been fighting an autoimmune disease that has effected my heart. So for me, I am looking to get well, to beat the odds.
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Hello all, I have been a vegetarian for four years. But still find myself using the meat replacement products. This year I am trying to omit most of them but they can be soooo convenient to use. Working all day, fitting in the gym then having to get home to cook dinner for three (one vegetarian (me), one pescaitarian (my 13yr Son) and one meat eater (my hubby)) is very challenging. The easy night of Tacos can take me an hour just to make, and the dishes to clean! I have been slowly having more meals that are totally meatless, Hubby has not complained yet!
PS "crazyycatlady"1 - love your name!2 -
Hello all, I have been a vegetarian for four years. But still find myself using the meat replacement products. This year I am trying to omit most of them but they can be soooo convenient to use. Working all day, fitting in the gym then having to get home to cook dinner for three (one vegetarian (me), one pescaitarian (my 13yr Son) and one meat eater (my hubby)) is very challenging. The easy night of Tacos can take me an hour just to make, and the dishes to clean! I have been slowly having more meals that are totally meatless, Hubby has not complained yet!
PS "crazyycatlady"1 - love your name!
OH MY GOSH! That really would be challenging! One meatless dish I have found that's quick, and easy that might help you is I steam a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and then I toss them with pasta, usually spaghetti, or linguine, and olive oil, and garlic. It's really good.
I hope that helps you. 1 -
purebredpolly wrote: »One meatless dish I have found that's quick, and easy that might help you is I steam a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and then I toss them with pasta, usually spaghetti, or linguine, and olive oil, and garlic. It's really good.
That is literally what I had for dinner last night and about once a week lol and it will surprisingly fill you up! You won't even notice the absence of meat in the dish. I also like to throw in some mushrooms or zucchini when I have them, pretty much any veggie will work!2 -
rcrist6892 wrote: »purebredpolly wrote: »One meatless dish I have found that's quick, and easy that might help you is I steam a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, and then I toss them with pasta, usually spaghetti, or linguine, and olive oil, and garlic. It's really good.
That is literally what I had for dinner last night and about once a week lol and it will surprisingly fill you up! You won't even notice the absence of meat in the dish. I also like to throw in some mushrooms or zucchini when I have them, pretty much any veggie will work!
YES! This is so simple, and versatile! I often add leftover vegetables from the week to it. 0 -
Mukimo with black beans is my favorite.
Mukimo is basically mashed potatoes with spinach and corn mixed in. My boss used to make it and I became immediately addicted.0
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